Internal-combustion engine



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Filed June 19, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ihnen for Z Zorn ey.

May l, 1945- H. RUPPE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 19, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 In 2/612 for /a/Go Rav/QE /Zlgi 5 1May l, 1945 H. RUPPE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE F'led June 19, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 3 [liz/en for #060 Rapp! orney.

Patented May 1, 1945 2,374,959 INTERNALJCOMBUSTION ENGINE Hugo Ruppe, Berlin, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian ApplicationJune 19, 1941, Serial No. 398,831 In Germany June 29, 1940 (Cl. 12S-44) 3 Claims.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine especially suitable to be mounted rotatably between the spokes of the wheel `of a vehicle, for

instance of a normal frontv wheel of a bicycle. In

such motors which are known per se the connecting rods areilxed on the axle of the vehicle, the axle thereby forming a crankshaft; during operation the rods are supported on the rigid axle of the wheel in such a manner that the cylinders xed on the spokes may rotate with the vehicle.

The invention consists in that the crankshaft is replaced by an eccentric xed on a sleeve rotating on the rigid axle of the wheel. The sleeve (or hollow axle) is connected to a disk turning with respect to the wheel axle and is also connected to the motor casing (which carries the cylinders) through a gearing the last pinion of which is fixed in a concentric manner on .the disk so that when stopping or braking the disk,` the gearing rolls oil onto the pinion, and the sleeve and the engine cylinder rotate with respect to the wheel axle.

Further details of the invention are described in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings. These show as one embodiment of the invention an auxiliary engine for bicycles,

and

Figure 1 is a section through the motor according to the line I-,I of Fig. 5, the two sectionplanes being represented in the same plane;

Figure 2 shows the gearing of the motor according to Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 a view online III-III of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 the cylinder headin a view from above;

Figure 5 the motor on line V-V of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 the motor mounted in a front-wheel:

Figure '1 on an enlarged scale the scheme of the gearing and the coupling means;

Figure 8 the scheme of the electric system of the motor.

I4 is the front wheel fork of an ordinary bicycle. the fork prongs on the wheel axle being spaced apart from one another for instance by 3% inches. 2 is the wheelA axle which serves for stiiening' the front wheel fork. In this case it serves also as axle for the double needle bearing 3; on the needle bearing 3 is rotatably mounted a sleeve or hollow axle 4 which on its left end is formed as a pinion 5 (Fig. 2). Washers 6 limit the normal displacement of the sleeve 4: further they limit together with the axle shoulder 1 provided in the middle of the axle the axial movement of the needles. On both sides of the washers 8 there are provided ball bearings 8 carrying the motor casing', I8 on which are located the spoke rings II I2 which at the side are fixed by the screws I3 of the motor casing. On the circumference of the motor casing there are located on opposite sides the cylinders I4, I4, and at a right angle thereto also on opposite sides, the casing for the ignition coil I5 and the casing for-the coil I t for the lighting current. l1 designates the commutator for the igniter (Fig. 8).

The gearing of the motor consists of the axle sleeve 4, the double eccentric I8 and the disks I9 and 20 4of light metal which are fixed by screws 23 (Figs. 2, 3, 5). Further on the sleeve 4 there is provided a at rotary valve 21 controlling the admission of gas. The disk 20 carries the magnet ring 22 -and has blades 2| curved against the direction of rotation and forming a turbo--fanl (Fig.

3). The gas flows in the path indicated by arrows. 24 is a filling piece (Fig. 3) inserted into the mag net ring for balancing this magnet ring, and is of anti-magnetic metal and xed as the magnet ring itself by screws 25 on the disk 28. The sleeve 4 has a longitudinal key 28, upon which is pressed the double eccentric I8 with the two disks I9, 20. The rotary valve 21 is axially movable and pressed against the wall of the motor casing by a spring 25 in order to obtain a tight abutment. The sleeve 4 with the double eccentric I8 replaces the usual crankshaft of the motor while the magnet ring 22 serves at the same time as fly wheel. The

Y pinion 5 is the element transmitting the force of the motor.

The rotary valve 21 has on different diameters. two slots 29 located one opposite the other and c oacting with two slots 30 also located on opposite sides in the wall of the motorv casing-half III. The arrangement of these slots on different die ameters has the. purpose to eifect only one admission of gas into the crank casing during each rotation of the rotary valve. The curved lengths of therslots in the rotary valve and in the casing are so dimensioned that the admission of gas is effected during of the rotation, and the slots 28 in the rotary valve 21 are so dimensioned that in spite of their ditlerent arrangement the rotary valve is balanced. The connecting rods 3| have on the one side, eyes of corresponding dimensions andare mounted by means of balls on the double eccentric I8. The balls are held apart at the illustrated distance from one another by aicage or rings especially formed (Fig. 5)

The half l0 of the casing has a circular ledge 32 (Fig. l). on which abuts a ilXed disk 34 which loosely runs on the wheel axle 2 and which is urged for instance by a star-like `formed leafspring 35: the disk is fixed by a-strut 54 by means of cams. On the place of abutment is inserted into the disk 34 a circular felt ring 33. In this manner between the wall of the casing IIL-the ledge 32 and the disk 34 is-formed a circular chanresponding circular channel of the motor casing. Within this second channel is fastened a metallic ring 4I, isolated on the motor casing, the ring being connected with the winding for the lighting` current. The disk 34 carries an isolated contact 40 (Fig. 4) serving for the supply of the current for the lamp and slipping on'the ring 4I.

The drive of the motor is transmitted to the wheel by means of pinions the construction of which is to be seen in Fig. 1 and the relative position of which is represented in Fig. 7, in a schematic manner. ,The pinion 5 on the sleeve 4 is in engagement with a pinion 44, which is rigidly connected to a smaller pinion 46. The double pinion 44, 46 is rotatable on a pin 45 which by means of a flange is pressed into the casing-half 9. This pin 45 carries on its end an expanding ring which prevents the double pinion from slipping o. In Fig. 1 the pinion 41 is located under the axle 2 because it is represented in a plane displaced by 90. The little pinion 45 is in gear with the pinion 41 fixed on a shaft 48 which is extended outwardly through the wall of the casinghalf 9 and here carries a pinion 4,9. This pinion is in gear with a pinion 50 located loosely on the wheel axle 2. 'I'he pinion 59 is secured by a nut 42 on the wheel axle and supported against the motor casing by means of balls and ball rings 56. The pinion 50 is fixed on a grooved disk 5I through screws or rivets 52. A steel Wire 53 running around the grooved disk 5| serves together with the disk as a coupling device.` The one end of the wire 53 is fixed on a strut 54 connected with the cycle fork and the other end is secured to a lever rockable by means of a Bowden wire. Each fork prong is provided with a strut 54 which is located on a shoulder of the nut 42 and fixed on the prong by means of a clamp 55.' l

The operation of the described arrangement is the following: I

When the bicycle makes a stop the rotation of the gearing is transmitted to `the pinion 49 by means of the double-pinion 44, 46 and of the pinion 41, the pinion 49 turning the grooved disk 5I through the pinion 50. If the disk 5I is stopped by means of the wire 53, the pinion 58 is also ped by means of the wire 53, the pinion is also stopped so that the pinion 49 rolls off on the pinion 50 and through the shaft 48 mounted in the motor casing takes with it the casing and thereby turns it. In consequence of the connection of the motor casing with the spoke rings II, I2, the front wheel is also set in rotation. In Fig. 1 there is further represented a disk 51 which serves only for filling the space in the motor casing between the disk I9 of the gearing and the wall of the motor casing-half 9, This disk 5l has openings into which the pinions 5, 44, 46 and 47 extend. Further this disk 41 forms a second bearing for the shaft 48 and finally it abuts on a flange provided onthe shaft 4 8 thereby seeming it from breaking-out of the wall of the casing. 'I'he disk 51 is therefore fastened to the casing-half 9 by means of screws.

Fig. 8 represents the electric parts. 22 is as'already said a permanent steel magnet ring having the poles N and S. The pole shoes 58 extend from the exterior through two slots provided in the motor casing and arranged the one opposite to the other close to the magnet ring 22. The pole shoes 58 are cemented airand oil-tight in the cover 59 consisting advantageously of pressed plastic material and serving to close the slots of the motor casing. The cover 59 is made of a material not conducting the electric current in order to prevent the production of electric eddy or braking fluxes round the pole shoes 58. These shoes have four-cornered openings into which are extended U-shaped cores of iron carrying the coils. The commutator I'I is actuated by a cam 26, of the disk I9 and preferably consists of a handle of hardened sheet-steel pressed into corresponding slots of the disk I9. The cam 26 is of such length that the contact is interrupted when according to Fig. 8 the edge of the S-pole of the magnet ring passes the upper edge of the poleshoe now being in the zone of the N-pole.

Fig. 6 shows the exhaust pipes 50 and the silencer 6I. The slits 62 for the exhaust of the gases are enclosed by thin/elastic tongues of band-steel the longitudinal edges ofwhich are positioned angularly the one near the other. The tongues are spread by the pressure of the exhausted gas whereby the noise of the exhaust which precedes the pressure of the gas is controlled. Any oil accumulated in the silencer may be drained by unscrewing the locks 63.

Fig. 4 represents the shape of the cooling ribs chosen so that the spokes may pass thereon. The whole arrangement permits to take oil the cylinders and the silencer with the exhaust openings for cleaning purposes through the space between the spokes without the necessityto take ofi the motor. In the same manner all electric parts may be taken out between the spokes.

The gasoline tank not illustrated is preferably located in the frame and connected to the carburetor through a fuel tube. In order to procure a second brake device the spoke ring I2 is provided with a hollow part or rim containing a tension wire fixed to an auxiliary strut and actuated by a Bowden wire (Fig. 1).

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the motor is rotatable and used for the drive of a bicycle. It may also be provided with stationary cylinders for instance for the drive of a water pump, of a dynamo or for other purposes. In the same manner the coupling and braking means may be constructed otherwise in accordance with the intended application.

What I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine mounted for rotation about a, central support and having its radially projecting parts arranged in substantially balanced relation, said parts including a pair of cylinders diametrically opposed to each other, and a pair of electrical control parts in diametrically opposed relation midway between the cylinders and each extending radially substantially the same distance.

2. An internal combustion engine as recited in claim l wherein a pair of muffiers also are arranged in diametrically opposedrelation midway between the cylinders and at greater radial distances from the central support than said electrical control parts, and a pair of exhaust pipes connect each mufiier with the respective cylinders, said exhaust pipes extending from opposite sides of the cylinders so as to maintain substantial balance of the rotating engine.

3. An internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said electrical control parts comprises the ignition coil mechanism and the other comprises a lighting current generator.

HUGO RUPPE. 

